Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Review: The Rajah's Chosen Bride by Amy Talbot

The Rajah’s Chosen Bride by Amy Talbot

Publisher: Eternal Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

The day she buries her grandfather, Australian grade-school teacher Vania di Bergolo finds he has arranged her marriage to Indian business mogul, Devendra Jain. She’s appalled at the proposition. How could her grandfather barter her to the highest bidder? Despite her aversion to marrying a complete stranger, Vania agrees to the betrothal, but demands the marriage be in name only.

Deven is incensed when he finds out about the arrangement. Vania is a thoroughly modern western woman, and they share nothing in common. He has stayed determinedly single from choice, planning to take a wife from his own people when he is ready. Now, thanks to the secret scheming of two old men, and the sweet, innocent smile of a foreigner, his stubbornly held bachelor existence is set to change dramatically.

I really enjoyed The Rajah's Chosen Bride. It was a story of family loyalty which is something that I think is admirable. The story begins on a day of tragedy for our heroine, Vania, as she and her family say goodbye to someone they love very much. That same day, she meets with Deven, the grandson of a family friend and learns that she has been betrothed to Deven, several years before.

Deven's ailing grandfather tells him of a family secret, one that is the cause of hurt and pain. To preserve the family honor, and the wishes of a dying man, Deven agrees to marry Vania, now she needs to agree to it as well.

Together, Vania and Deven learn to love and to trust, but their battle of the heart is not without strife, and not without people that want to tear the new couple apart.

I give The Rajah's Chosen Bride three and a half Tea Cups with a heat score of one. I really enjoyed the story and loved watching Deven realize that not everything was about money and riches, some things were about the heart. I really hope that there is a sequel to this story, because I would love to read more about these two very likeable characters.